Extracellular ATP, an essential pain mediator, is received by cell-surface ionotropic P2X and/or metabotropic P2Y receptors. Although the contribution of P2X₃ and/or P2X(2/3) receptors toward the pain mechanism is well described in trigeminal ganglion neurons, the expression of other subtypes of P2X receptor remains to be clarified. We examined expression… (More)

To clarify the topography of the areas representing whole intraoral structures and elucidate bilateral neuronal projection to those areas in the primary somatosensory (S1) cortex, we recorded somatosensory-evoked magnetic fields (SEFs), which reflect the earliest cortical responses to pure tactile stimulation, using magnetoencephalography and a piezo-driven… (More)

By allowing reconstruction of compromised occlusion, dental implants contribute to an improvement in quality of life (QOL) and diet. Injury to a nerve during such treatment, however, can result in a sudden decline in QOL. And once a nerve has been injured, the chances of a full recovery are slim unless the damage is only slight. If such damage causes… (More)

To elucidate the mechanisms of individual differences in pain and analgesic sensitivity, we analyzed the variable number of tandem repeat polymorphism in the third exon of the dopamine D4 receptor gene. Alleles that were less than four repeats long and four or more repeats long were considered Short and Long, respectively. We found that the Short/Short… (More)

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of anxiety about dental treatment on pain during treatment. Subjects consisted of 57 consenting sixth-grade students at Tokyo Dental College (male: 32, female: 25), all of whom participated in this study during their clinical training program. They knew how third molars were extracted and all had… (More)

Merkel cells (MCs) have been proposed to form a part of the MC-neurite complex with sensory neurons. Many transient receptor potential (TRP) channels have been identified in mammals; however, the activation properties of these channels in oral mucosal MCs remain to be clarified. We investigated the biophysical and pharmacological properties of TRP vanilloid… (More)

BACKGROUND
Smoking is currently accepted as a well-established risk factor for many oral diseases such as oral cancer and periodontal disease. Provision of smoking cessation care to patients with oral problems is a responsibility of health care professionals, particularly dentists and dental hygienists. This study examined the smoking-related perceptions… (More)